True friendship never dies
by vildtiger
Summary: He made a promise to always be there to bring them back, well that easier said than done. One he don t remember, the second has returned back to Sora and the third is under Xehanorts control. But Lea, now training to be a keyblade wielder refuses to give up, and joins the keyblade Masters to stop Xehanorts plans and save his friends from their suffering. call it a kh3 story.
1. Chapter 1: Friend or Foe

**if this story should be in a timeline with the Kingdom Hearts game, then this would start right after Dream Drop Distance. so you could call it a kh3 story.  
I won't follow Sora, Riku, Kairi or any other keyblade wielders, only if they are around the main character in this story: Lea.  
**  
**Enjoy and please don't steal the picture I made for this story.  
and none of the characters or worlds belongs to me, it belongs to Square Enix and the Kingdom Hearts universe**

_

When he had stepped in, to save Sora from Xehanort's grasp, he had never expected him being on their side. But he was there and stared at him with no emotions or recognition. All there could be seen in those yellow eyes were an indescribable coldness. Had that really been his old friend there had looked at him…. or was it Xehanort who looked at him through his friend´s eyes? Have Xehanort trapped Isa inside his own body? Forced him to become a vessel? Or has Isa freely chosen to become one of the vessels?

Inside a middle sized house in Radiant Garden, laid a man with striking spiked red hair on a bed, staring up to the ceiling as he have been doing for hours. This was Lea, the human of the Nobody known as Axel and almost a newly initiated keyblade wielder. Lea has so many questions about what happened that day but no one could answer them… only one could. And that person had faded away like all the other vessels inside the room Where Nothing Gather.

Only Isa could tell him the truth.

Lea sat up, still with the many questions in his mind. He got out from the bed and went over to a window where he could see the rebuild gardens of his home world. It went slowly but Radiant Garden looked more the place he knew as child. However, he hasn't done much of helping the Restoration Committee in rebuilding Radiant Garden back to its former glory. Lea has spent most of his time training with his new Keyblade, named Reaching Flames at Merlin´s. He has finally been able to summon it properly, but he still wasn't in the same league as Sora and Riku.

Those two has already gone out to the other worlds once again, training and searching for a way to stop Xehanort's plans. Lea wanted to help, but he knew that he wouldn't be much help for the moment. He still haven´t mastered wielding his new weapon and could still only take down smaller Heartless. There was no way he could defeat one of Xehanort's vessels without getting killed in the progress.

And he didn't really have the time to die, he still have to save his friends and bring them back to this world.

Still, there was someone he wanted, more than ever to confront. From a distance past, he was his best and closest friend. In the Organization, he was his worst enemy and now… he was a vessel of Xehanort.

"Isa, why?"

Of course he couldn't get an answer from the thin air he asked. Lea sighted and left his room, not at all bothering taking on the black cloak. He hasn't been wearing it for weeks and didn't really see any reason wearing anymore either, his dark portal ability has faded away and now he couldn't even make a small one. Yin Sid had told him it was best he used a Gummiship as transport instead, it may be slightly slower, but using a Gummiship was safer.

So he has more or less discarded his former Organization cloak and begun on wearing ordinary clothing. Today he had a white sleeveless jacket with black pockets and markings around the shoulders, on the right side was a small flame symbol. Underneath the jacket, he had a reddish orange t-shirt. His pants were sand-brown and did have slight similarities to his favorite when he was a kid, except these weren´t baggy. His sneakers were dark red with white makings on the sides. He would have worn his favorite scarf as well, but he haven´t been able to find it. He lost it the same day he and Isa lost their hearts inside the castle; it probably got destroyed when Radiant Garden was overrun by Heartless. Quite the pity, he liked that scarf and it's not like he could buy another one for it was homemade by his mother.

Lea did often wonder why Isa has been there with Xehanort, but for now he have to train with his keyblade and get stronger. He did not only train in Radiant Garden, he often trained at the old Keyblade Master; Yin Sid´s tower alongside Kairi who as well was under keyblade training. He and Kairi did surprisingly quickly become friends and after a training session he told her something he quiet for a while wanted to tell her.

"Kairi, do you remember your home?" he dismissed his keyblade and turned around to her "the place where you really came from?" Sora had once told him that Kairi wasn't born on the Destiny Islands, but came from another world.

the young girl shook her with a smile "no" and asked with a titled head "why?" this wasn't the first time she has been asked these questions, but it has mostly been Sora and Riku who has been asking.

Lea turned away from her, a little unsure of this. "It´s just…" he wasn't even sure that little girl he met as kid was her, even he most admit they have quite the similarities. "I think we once met, when I was a kid"

Kairi did not speak; she simple looked at him with pure blue eyes, waiting patience for him to speak. It was kind of funny, for when she looked at him, he gets the feeling that someone else he knew sometimes did the same. but that couldn't be…. he shook that quick thought out of his head and said as he scratched the back of his neck "I remember a little girl, sitting in the garden and picking flowers. She always had her grandmother around and…" he sighted, here goes nothing "when I look at you, I see that little girl."

"Did you sense it as well when you were a Nobody?" she asked him calm; even he could hear she had a slight nervous clang in her voice. She too has become nervous, for when she was with Axel inside the darkness, she had got a weird feeling that she knew him, from a distance past. She had almost asked Axel about it back then, but another Nobody had interrupted them and taken her prisoner.

Lea looked away again with crossed arms, thinking past to those short moments with Kairi as Axel. After a few moments of silence he finally replied "no, I didn´t. it´s first now I have been getting these- I think you can call them flashbacks" he said with a frown, not sure what else to call it.

Kairi gave a small laugh from his reply and walked over to him. Lea eyed her calm even he most admit he was a little tense, for these training sessions was pretty much the only times they saw each other face to face after that kidnapping incident. "Tell me more, please?"

He smiled down to her, but he didn't feel like telling about the past outside the Mysterious Tower. So they went to Twilight Town, here Lea told her his better memories about Radiant Garden, before it fell into Darkness. Kairi almost wolfed down his stories and only once or twice asked deeper into the details and it seems the more he told, the more she seems to remember that place.

"You know, I remember something. Something there never happen on the islands" she suddenly said.

Lea eyed her with a raised brow, not sure it was because of him she suddenly remembers or she always had this memory.

"what do you remember?" he asked curies and added with his cheerful smile "don´t leave me hanging"

she laughed at him, but did tell "well, I remember a boy, he was very quiet around strangers but when he spoke he sure had a large amount of long words for a boy in that age." she hesitated but said "I think… I think he was my friend, back then"

that boy she told about sounded oddly familiar, better be sure before jumping into conclusions "do you remember how that boy looked like?"

"Well, he had grey hair. long bangs there covered his right eye" she showed him by putting her right hand over the right side of the face "just like this, and he had a white cloak— Lea what is so funny?!" she pouted when the red haired man suddenly began laughing hysterical.

"s-sorry" Lea laughed and tried unsuccessful getting a grip on himself. He recognized that description and found it hilarious that such a serious book-worm has been friends with this cheerful and somewhat naive girl "it just; I know that guy" he continued laughing "how come he and you could became friends? All he do is having his nose stuck in a book"

Kairi didn´t answer, she just stared with a shocked look in her blue eyes "you know him?" then she realized he just have made fun of her long distance friend "hey!"

Lea just chuckled but turned once again serious when she started asked "can I meet him? see my birth place? meet—"

"whoa easy there Princess, did you forget you´re under training?" he stopped her before she really got started on her waterfall of questions.

She´s almost worse than Roxas.

Lea felt a sting in his heart just from that quick thought. Man, he missed that boy and his wave of questions.

"Better ask that old Keyblade master before you do anything rash.." He said to her and added with a confident grin "something I would have done in a heartbeat"

she chuckled from that reply but admitted she better should ask Yin Sid if it was alright to leave this world. she thanked Lea and went back to the train there would take her back to the Mysterious Tower.

Lea watched her leave with a smile but it faded when she was out of sight and with a long sight, he looked up to the sky. His eyes turned to the clock tower, the place he, as Axel would sit and talk, laugh and having ice-cream with Roxas and… wait, has there been another one with them? He turned his head down again with wonder, this wasn't the first time it has happen. "…there was… someone else…" he muttered in realization, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't picture or give a name to this third person.

However, his deep thoughts were broken of a familiar sound, but he couldn't say he liked that sound anymore. He turned around to the newly open portal, ready to summon his keyblade. His narrowed green eyes wide in shock when he saw who the person there walked out was: it was Isa.

"Isa" Lea said in disbelief and somehow also with happiness, even Isa mostly now would try and kill him.

the broad man with the pale blue hair and scarred face looked at him with the again dull expression. He summoned his claymore without a single word, which was quite odd. Isa always enjoyed mocking him in his friendly kind of way. Heck! even Saix always mocked him although the friendliness had been long gone.

Lea did not like this silence treatment and asked taunting "hey Isa, cat's got your tongue?"

No response, even Saix would have made a response on that. Lea snorted and said more in matter of fact than in taunt "Xehanort´s really got you messed up." seeing his friend, like this… it just hurts.

"snap out of it Isa!" he yelled at the man but all he got was almost getting a claymore in his face. Lea dodged the attack the last second and landed on the asphalt again. he turned to the other man "are you really going to let them control you?!" he jumped once again away from Isa´s attack, even that last one he was forced to summon his chakrams to shield the feral attack. Just like in the World There Never Was, they stood with their weapons locked together, face to face. But this time, Lea was far more chatty and hissed to his opponent "do you really want to be Xehanort´s loyal puppet? His lap dog?!"

This time he saw a change in those yellow eyes, he saw anger. And no surprise, Isa hated being called those things.

"fight it Isa!" Lea cried to his friend, but two seconds later. He found himself slammed up against a wall with Isa´s hands around his throat.

"I´m no one's puppet" Isa finally said in a dangerous low growl and glowing yellow eyes, close to go berserk. Lea has sure pushed the wrong buttons this time but at least Isa was now talking.

"really?" Leas asked through what little air he could get from the tight grip Isa had around his neck "then why is it you are on their side?"

Isa did not answer, but he did not have to.

"he has you in his strings, and you blindly allows him doing your every move" Lea wheezed down to the blue haired man. Lea laughed humorless or at least the best he could with the very limited air he could get "you have become his puppet"

Isa sneered and tighten his grip around Lea´s neck "give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you. Xemnas wasn't the one who turned his back on me, he wasn't the one who kept meddling, forgot the promise we made in the past!"

the past… yes he remember. They both planned to overthrow Xemnas and worked on a plan of doing so, he thought their friendship would hold but… even back then, Saix wasn't the friend he remembered.

Lea´s visions darken from the loss of air, but in that second. He got a memory, it wasn't of when Axel and Saix was planning to overthrow the Organization and how their before strong friendship would slowly shatter. No, he remembered a past when he and Isa, enjoyed each other company. was close as brothers and helped each other in time of need. It did make it harder seeing Isa acting like this, but… it did remain Lea why he was fighting, why he couldn't give up.

He kicked Isa away and the grip around his throat was released. Lea gasped stroke his hand over the sore neck, then he turned his green eyes to the blue haired who looked slightly surprised at him. "I do remember" he told his old friend and got on his feet "but it´s not the pipe-down dream or promise- call it whatever you want, Axel gave Saix in the Organization" now he just wanted to know that if Saix was all there was left in this man.

"I´m not sure you tried to reach me as a Nobody. you kept reminding me of the past, but it always seems to be the wrong one. I didn't question it, but with my time with Roxas" Lea sat his hand on his chest "I began to remember, remember that we not always has been like this… we were friends once, we ate ice cream, laughed and did all kind of stupid stuff together" his silence for a moment but then he glared over to the other man who looked like Isa but, those yellow eyes "that made me question our goal." back when they were kids, Isa´s were different. He was a true friend, his closest friend.

"Isa, do you remember? Back then, your eyes used to be blue and you used to be more carefree, and could take a joke. But now, all I see in those eyes are Xehanort!"

Isa eyes flashed down to the ground, and for the first time since the beginning from their battle, it looked like Lea finally got through. The red haired took a step towards him, refusing to give up. he did not want to lose him! he won´t allow Xehanort to win! "Isa! you can´t let Xemnas- Xehanort control your heart!"

"I´m…. Xehanort?" Isa asked more himself than Lea. Then suddenly he flinched and fell on his knees, screaming in pain.

"ISA!" Lea cried and ran over to his friend, but before he could reach him. Darkness surrounded Isa and he was gone. Lea stopped and didn't see the danger behind him, not before he got hit by the claymore and flew meters away, only got stopped by a wall. Lea shook his head as the world around him span around, when he could look straight again, horror stood before him. Isa stood with weapon drawn, engulfed by darkness and the yellow eyes glared at Lea.

"you have always been a pest in meddling, Axel" he said angry, now sounding more like Saix than anything.

Lea eyes wide, this wasn't how he wanted it to end!

quickly he got on his feet and jumped away from a berserker´s attack in the last second. Saix turned around to him and charged at Lea with a roar.

Instinctive Lea summoned his keyblade and used it as shield but before their weapons even touched, a bright light surrounded them both.

"Isa!"

was his friend so far gone that he wouldn't be able to save him?


	2. Chapter 2: Dancing Waters Forming Bond

A/N: the front picture will change for every chapter, and again enjoy!

Still with his keyblade in hand, Lea opened his eyes, quickly getting on his feet when he realized he was down on the ground. The red haired looked confused around the apparently empty plaza "what… did just happen?" he dismissed his weapon as there seems to be no danger, still he kept looking around after Isa, wondered where he has gone?  
but the blue haired man was no where to be found, so with great dispointent that he failed brining his friend´s back to his senses.  
"why is it so complicated?" he groaned and went back to the Mysterious tower.

"are you feeling alright Ax- I mean Lea"  
"still haven´t gotten it memorized?" Lea teased dryly and tapped on his forehead. Sora smiled embarrassed back as response. He and his friends were all shocked seeing Lea return with wounds from a heated battle. Lea´s eyes moved to Riku who stood nearby "Lea, what happed? You look like you lost to a Bethmouth"  
the redheaded smiled to him in a sad way, holding over the hurting side, the place where Isa´s claymore have hit.  
Sora noticed it and tried to help.  
"I´m fine" Lea said dismissive and added with a laugh "not the first time I got beaten down to bruises" he laughed dryly and turned back to Riku "as for your question, I met Isa. the man you know as Saix"  
"what?!" Sora and Riku asked in disbelief, both have encountered the Nobody known as Saix before and those weren't exactly good memories.  
"why did you go after him?" Riku asked and added "and why could you find one of Xehanorts vessels that easily? Me and Sora have looked everywhere for them"  
" hey, it wasn´t me who found him." he pouted annoyed over such a accusation, then again; he had been searching for Isa. he turned to Sora "just be happy he didn´t arrive when I was with Kairi, true she can defend herself, but not against the likes of him" he then began looking around "speaking of the girl, where is she?"  
"I´m here" Kairi came inside the room with a very worried face and from that look she gave him, he must look pretty bad. He nodded smiling to her, silence telling her he was alright.  
she smiled back in relief and glad he was alright.  
"while I has been beaten to pieces by Isa" Lea started casually as being almost killed by your best friend was a everyday experience "what have you guys been doing?"  
"we found one of the missing keyblade wielders" Sora said happy and explained that after a little help from friends from other worlds, they have found a safety pathway into the Dark Realm and found Aqua.  
"and she wasn´t alone" Sora added "she was with Ansem the wise!"  
Lea frowned "Ansem the Wise?" he crossed his arms, for that name did sound oddly familiar "where have I heard that name?" he couldn´t point where, so he pushed it away and turned his attention back to the trio "Guess Aqua is the one I saw talking with Yin Sid, what about Ansem?"  
"well, Ansem is back in Radiant Gar—"  
"Ansem lives in Radiant Garden?" Lea interrupted with a frown, and then he remembered "oh, now I remember! He is the King of the castle!"  
Riku blinked and asked "you know Ansem?"  
"not in person" Lea admitted and quickly explained that everyone in Radiant Garden had heard of Ansem the wise. "after all, he is the king" he added smiling to them, but thought that neither he or Isa really cared who he was when they snuck into the castle.  
the trio did not ask further into the subject, for they were all called inside the meeting room where a woman with sea blue hair, her clothing had a slight armor appearing over it. she stood before Yin Sid who, as usual sat in his chair. Lea did see this woman when he returned but because she has been talking to Yin Sid about something about a Terra and some other boy, he didn´t pay much attention and have went inside the other room to clean himself up. Both keyblade masters turned to the group who walked inside and Yin Sid spoke to Sora and Riku "once again you have proven yourself by saving Master Aqua from the Realm of Darkness, but unfortunately, there is no time to celebrate her return" he turned to the woman named Aqua who nodded to the older wizard and explained to the group "we need to help both of my friends, one of them are sleeping inside our old home world"  
"sleeping how?" Lea asked and she explained "his heart almost got destroyed in his battle against a dark force named Vanitas. Forcing him into a comatose sleep"  
"what is his name?" Sora asked.  
Aqua smiled to him and said "it´s Ventus"  
Lea who has been standing with his back up against the wall gasped hearing that name. Ventus, could it really be the boy he befriended so many years ago? None of the others notice his shock and he didn´t want them to know, so he quickly hid it and again listen to the conversation.  
"Ventus… somehow, that name sounds familiar, but I can´t place it" Sora admitted sad and added just as confused "also when we met you in the Realm of Darkness, I got this… happy feeling, like I have been waiting to see you again"  
Aqua gasped, she took a step closer to Sora and gently sat her hand on his chest. It confused the boy but he didn´t move. Aqua closed her eyes, as if searching for something inside Sora. She gasped opened her eyes and stepped away from Sora.  
"is something wrong?" Sora asked confused over her shock.  
Aqua smiled weakly "it would explain why you…" she stopped herself and changed topic "Ventus´s heart is inside of you"  
Sora eyes wide and he sat his hand on his chest, baffled over what she just have told him.  
Riku didn´t seems very surprised over this for some odd reason. he turned to Aqua and asked collected as ever "where do we find Ventus?"  
"I´ll take you there, for you wouldn´t be able to find him on your own."  
"why´s that?" Kairi asked and the older woman explained calm "because everyone who steps inside that castle walls will be lost in oblivion"  
he couldn´t believe this, Lea chuckled over something Axel has been searching for and only got sour feet and a big head ache from it. "Castle Oblivion" he said to the Keyblade master.  
She eyed him with a raised brow, not sure how he knew that place "yeah, but… how do you know"  
"I have been there more than once, got those icky orders to search for a certain room" he told and added annoyed "but all I did was walking in circles…"  
Aqua smiled weakly to him, then turned to the others with a serious frown "we should leave immediately, I don´t want Ventus to be in there more than necessary"  
Sora and Riku nodded and left the room. Kairi hesitated, not sure she could follow them on this mission.  
Sora glanced back to her "aren´t you coming?"  
"sure" she nodded and followed him with a cheerful smile.  
Lea also followed, he wanted to see how this "chamber" looks like and, meets an old friend again.

"oh, almost forgot" Aqua stopped outside the tower and turned to the group "before we leave, I have something for you" and she explained a power to call friends to ones side and borrow some of their ability. by explaining she showed a star-shaped charm called a Wayfinder.  
"Ven, Terra and I had very much use of this ability, on our journey" she told them with a sad smile of the memories of losing her two best friends. She shook the memories off and said to the trio that she was more than willing to give them the same ability.


	3. Chapter 3: Oblivious Suffering

Not far into the castle, the group was met by a blond girl who was very close resemble to Kairi, this girl was Naminé. A Nobody who has the ability to manipulate Sora´s memories and those close to him.  
The group stopped and the Nobody nodded to them in a greeting "welcome back" she said friendly to them.  
"how did you come here, Naminé?" Riku asked the blond girl, probably just as confused as the rest why the Nobody of Kairi was here.  
"I was born here" she simple told him with a sweet smile. she turned more serious and said as she sat her hands up to her chest "I know why you´re here, Sora" her blue met his "it is time to wake up those who suffer, but the boy; Ventus isn´t the only one."  
"right" Sora nodded, he sat his own hand up to his heart "Roxas, you and that other girl"  
Lea blinked. What other girl? and why does his heart ache of sorrow?  
Naminé nodded and continued "yes, and that´s why… the Organization will try and stop you"  
"the Organization?!" the group yelled in shock, all except from Aqua, she did not know about them, but from the others shocking faces, she knew they were no good news.  
Naminé nodded again, she turned around, facing the door to the upper floors "not long ago, someone from this new Organization came and used some kind of dark magic. Trying to make you walk off the path and stopping you getting more allies" she turned back to them again "the memories there has been lost in time will return, and people you have seen before, good or evil, will appear. You will all be tested of your strength of heart" she took her hands up to her chest again, with fear in her eyes "and I fear the worst if you fail"  
"don´t worry" Naminé looked at Sora who was confident as ever "together, we can take on anything."  
his two friends nodded in agreement, making Naminé smile to them in relief "I´m happy to hear that" she stepped away from the door and it opened.  
the group went inside, but Lea stopped when he stood before the girl. he eyed her with sad eyes but still asked "do you think he can do it?"  
she smiled up to him "he can"  
Lea nodded back and went after the group.  
Naminé watched as the door slowly closed and she said with a sad voice "but you will be the only one who can stop Roxas"  
Sora did not know this, but the Darkness the Organization had forced him into in the Master exam had also consumed Roxas and awoken his anger and grief and in this unstable state, he would point his anger against anyone.

Outside the door, Lea quickly discovered that whatever the spell this Organization member had casted at this castle, it have separated him from the others, probably also the others was on their own like him.  
Lea scratched his neck, slightly annoyed over this separation "better get this over with" he muttered and walked over to a wall there did looks like it once had a door.  
he stopped before this walled door, crossing his arms in wondering.  
"and the traitor returns"  
Lea hastily turned around to a voice he far too well recognized and at the corridor he came from, a portal of darkness arrived and out from it came Marluxia. The red haired man raised a brow over again seeing this former master of the castle "don´t tell me Sora failed in killing you" he snorted to the Graceful Assassin.  
Marluxia smirked back "I´m merely a memory" he said casual and added with a slight frown "but I could almost say the same about you, Axel"  
"Axel?" Lea asked with hands on his hips as if annoyed and added taunting "not anymore, my name is Lea, got it memorized?" he tapped his finger up to his temple.  
Marluxia snorted in a kind of amused way "so, it have succeed Axel in becoming human?"  
"you could say that" Lea grinned, but enough talk with the Graceful Assassin "now" he first tried to summon his keyblade, but when it, yet again refused to come. He instead called his Eternal Flames and stood slightly annoyed he still hasn´t mastered calling his keyblade, he stood ready to battle Marluxia.  
"I´m a little busy, so either get out of my way or prepare to get eliminated"  
his eyes wide slightly in surprise when Marluxia chuckling made a portal and in front of him stood Naminé.  
this wasn´t the real Marluxia, it was only a memory from the past, where Axel and the Graceful assassin fought against each other. Lea eyed the terrified girl, he wasn´t sure she too was just a memory, he couldn´t take that change.  
"what´s wrong?" Marluxia asked him with s smirk "is your heart in the way?"  
Lea eyed him and Marluxia continued "Axel would have attacked without any hesitating or remorse for this girl" his smirk grew wider "so why won´t you?"  
Lea did not answer, for he wasn´t even sure why he couldn´t make himself attack. Axel could, but he did not have a heart either.  
"come on, human of Axel" Marluxia taunted "all you have to do is taking this little innocent girl down with me"  
"what about I just take you down?" Lea asked back, he was really getting annoyed at Maluxia. he charged at Marluxia and before hitting the fearful Naminé, he leaped around Marluxia, pushed the girl away but ended up getting hit by the scythe. He landed hard on the ground, right beside Naminé who quickly ran over to him.  
"dammit" Lea cursed, he had hoped his speed has been enough, but he had taken too long to get the girl and himself out of harm way. He turned to Naminé there asked worried "are you alright?"  
before he could answer, Marluxia laughed mocking to the fallen before him "you´re more pathetic than your Nobody"  
"do you…" Lea got on his feet, holding his right hand over the wounded arm "ever shut up?"  
"did I hit a nerve?" Marluxia kept taunting. He pointed his scythe at Lea who stood protective before Naminé "keeping this up and you won´t survive for long. Don´t let that weak heart of yours stopping your goal"  
that´s it, "what do you know about my goals?!" Lea shouted and even with the wounded arm, he still summoned both his Chakrams and attacked Marluxia.  
the Graceful Assassin smirked and used his own speed in trying to dodge Lea´s attack, then he swung the scythe and before it successfully hit, Lea blocked the attack but the wounded arm gave into the strain Marluxia put on in his attack and the chakrams slide away from their owner.  
"what do you know about YOUR goal?" Marluxia asked back as he pointed the scythe right at Lea´s head.  
Lea did not answer; he kept glaring at Marluxia with no signs of fear.  
Marluxia snorted at the glare "now I see why you was turned into a Nobody in the first place" he lifted his weapon, ready to make the final blow "you don´t know when to quit!"  
what happed next felt for Lea it went in slow-motion, the keyblade arrived just when he needed it most and with a single burst of speed. Lea stood behind Marluxia, with another wound on his shoulder. He heard the Graceful assassin fall and fade away, he glance to the fading body "and you better remember that" he growled as the last of Marluxia was gone.

"thank you"  
Lea blinked, completely have forgotten about Naminé and turned back to her. the young girl smiled unsure up to him.  
he nodded a single time back to her and to his great surprise, she faded away as well.  
"she was… a memory?" he muttered confused. Has he all this time protected and getting wounded of nothing but a illusion of Naminé? That was quite annoying, and still… he couldn´t help but feel proud that he had succeed doing the opposite of what Axel would have done.

_em"what do you know about your goal?" /em_

Lea growled from Marluxia´s question, what did that moron know about his goals anyway? he glanced one single time at the sealed door before he went back from the place he came from. When he came out from the door, he stood inside the same room where Marluxia was planning of using Naminé memory ability to take control over Sora and then use Sora against the Organization alongside Larxene.  
Lea walked inside the room, he stopped before the big orb and watched as an imaged arrived inside of it.

_emAxel stood with closed eyes, in deep thinking, they only opened when he heard the young girl Naminé suddenly speak Sora´s name.  
"even if you came for me—what then?" she asked sad and the scene quickly change into the place where Axel took actions of betraying Marluxia and Larxene.  
"you´re all he got left" he told her in matter of fact, back then feeling no pity towards the hurting girl. only thinking about his mission.  
"so then, if you don´t stop this, no one will"  
Naminé gasped, but then her head fell down again as she muttered in despair "but I… it´s too late…"  
"you shouldn´t give up just yet" Axel told her almost kindly, he turned around and went over to the other side of the room. there he said out loud to the pitiful girl "say Naminé. Have you notice? Marluxia doesn't seem to be around"  
"what are you… saying?" she asked him.  
he slightly turned his head to the girl when he gave her the clue he was letting her go "just that there is no one here who would get in your way"  
Naminé first hesitated, then, when she finally realized that he wasn´t joking, she took off.  
"just make it count" he told her as she left the room./em_

the imaged disappeared, he remembered this, the day he used Naminé to free Sora from their grasp, saving the keyblade wielder at the same time.  
back then he had laughed and stopped himself in shock, but now, with a heart bursting with emotions. Lea didn´t get surprised when he began smiling amused over the memory of the shock Axel got from that slight emotion. However, his smile faded when he heard the sound of the portal. He only turned enough around to see who it was.  
"I can´t believe I fell for your stupid lies" a female voice said angry and out from the portal arrived none other but Larxene, the only female member of the Organization. Lea simple eyed her, well knowing she wasn´t more but a memory this castle created of the real Larxene, then he smirked turned around to her "now, Larxene. Did you not know you can´t believe anyone who hasn´t a heart?"  
Larxene snorted furies but still she asked "so, how does it feel? Betraying us?"  
Lea crossed his arms serious, no way he was going to tell this one he was human now "no heart, remember" he lied.  
"ohh really?" she asked him teasing and looked straight into his green eyes "then explain me; why you´re so tense?"  
"I´m not tense" he said, only now realizing how tense he really was, probably because he knew she could she could attack him every moment and he wasn´t exactly in the shape battling the Savage Nymph who was known to play with her prey.  
Sadly his lie did not work and Larxene began laughing hard "ha ha ha! you can´t hide your emotions" she mocked him and giggling added "you must be so proud, having your heart back, and all those pesky emotions"  
Lea crossed his arms "actually, I am proud. Better being human than just a Nobody" he smirked confident back to her.  
that did tick her off and she sneered angry, looking almost like she would snap at him. then, to his surprise, she began smirking back and walks over to him "so how does it feel? What do you feel if you think of how you eliminated Vexen" her smirk grew wider when Lea turned his head away in regret, back then he did not like it, but now he hated the thought of what he have done.  
"how did it feel betraying your fellow members?" she asked and she went closer to him, their faces was only inches away from each other, "does it hurt?" she whispered into his ear in a flirting kind of way.  
Lea turned slightly his head to her "if you´re trying to bring me down by those memories, it´s not working" he coldly told her.  
True, the memories of killing Vexen and then using the Replica to finish off Zexion did hurt and more so when he kept looking into their human selves eyes. But those two had more or less forgiving him, or just tolerated him because they all have the same goal of returning Radiant Garden back to normal.  
she shot him one annoyed glare, but then giggled amused "and that´s why I better like men with heart´s. so much more fun and unpredictable"  
he turned his head away from her, not at all feeling happy being hers new toy.  
Larxene smirked really amused when she asked "so, how many have YOU betrayed?"  
this time the red haired eyed her, slightly confused and she continued her taunting "I mean, your Nobody used every opportunity to betray follow members."  
"I´m not like—"  
"of course you are" she interrupted him playful, she continued as she walked around him "you´re Axel, no matter what you say. Betraying others is like a second nature to you" the Savage Nymph eyed him with her cold blue eyes "just look at you and Saix"  
Lea couldn´t hold a gasp back, how the heck did she know about him and Saix?!  
Larxene began laughing "ohh your face is so priceless!" she eyed him amusingly evil "trying your best figuring out how I possible could know about you and Saix." Her hand came up to the chest and she explained grinning "I´m a memory of how you remember me, nothing more and nothing less. So of course I know about your dark secrets" she giggled again, more amused than ever to see the red haired shocked face "and how cruel you could be! telling a Puppet and that brat that you were friends, and then betraying them, just like you did with us" she pointed giggling out.  
Lea fits his hands, he was getting angry and it was a little hard not to, when you get getting your remorse thrown right at your face.  
"are the traitor getting angry?" she asked him taunting and with a gasp or surprise almost got hit by the chakrams. She eyed Lea who now was the one glaring.  
she snorted with a grin "seems like you are" and she turned her back to him, waving dismissive "I know this will kill you, but I can live with that. someday, the keyblade master and his friends will see you as what you truly are, and then" she eyed him "they will do the exact same thing Roxas did to you, walk away and never look back"  
"shut up" Lea growled "my friends won´t turn their back on me. I saved Sora from Xehanort!"  
"you only did that so you could get one step closer getting that so called best friend of yours back"  
"Naminé told us, that Roxas will return, when Sora has returned Ventus´s heart"  
"and you truly believe what Naminé is saying?" Larxene asked back. Surprising the red haired "she who can manipulate memories."

"Have you ever considered"

Lea turned to another portal and Marluxia arrived yet again, the pink haired man continued "that Naminé just have told you that, so you would keep on fighting on their side?"  
Lea´s eyes wide, he wouldn´t think that was the true, but he couldn´t stop these thought Marluxia and Larxene has planted in his mind. he tried to shake them away "no, only with them… Roxas and… she will return" he only knew his second friend was a she, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn´t put a face on her.  
Larxene smirked and crossed her arms "your heart has clouded your judgment Axel. They have been lying to you, for how can you restore something there will be lost?"  
"what do you mean?"  
Marluxia pointed his hand at the big orb and a picture of Roxas and Sora appeared "Roxas is the Nobody of Sora, but even so; they only have few similarities"  
Lea stared at the picture and then it faded and a old memory of his appeared, when he was a child. The teenager vision of himself spoke to someone sitting on the ground, throwing back a wooded keyblade and then showing his own Frisbees. Lea watched with a slight frown as his younger self challenged the other one who kept being outside the picture. The other boy only appeared when he and the younger Lea went into a childish fight. Lea´s eyes wide as he realized that it was Ventus and for the first he saw how much that boy looked like Roxas. They were like two drops of water, identical.

"do you understand now, Axel" Marluxia asked him and dismissed the picture. "Roxas will never exits, not so long both Sora and that other boy keeps him prisoner"  
no, that… can´t be.  
he eyed the two Nobodies as Larxene said she had a solution to this little problem. "you could just turn Sora into a Heartless, then Roxas will return and you both can be friends again"  
Marluxia nodded to the baffled Lea "it should be easy enough, they all still trusts you"  
Lea turned his head away, he did not want this to be true, but what if it was? what if Roxas would truly disappear when Sora returns back Ventus´s heart? even if that was true, he…  
"I can´t…" he muttered and turned his green eyes to the slight surprised Nobodies "I can´t do that, because—Sora is my friend too. and I promised, that I would always be there to bring them back, but I won´t do it if it meant harming someone else"  
he yelped in shock and surprise when a dark portal suddenly appeared underneath his feet and dragged him down. Marluxia walked over to him with a pretty sly smirk "a promise you made as a Nobody, as you said to me once: do either of us have the heart to believe anyone?"  
Lea tried to get free in vain and could only watch as he sank deeper down. Marluxia smirked down to him "Lea, Axel. That promise you made— they can´t be trusted, for back then; you didn´t have a heart"  
Lea´s eyes wide over the truth and the last thing he saw was Larxene and Marluxia´s grinning faces.


	4. Chapter 4: Remembrance

He opened his eyes and discovered he was back at the front door. He sat up, but did not make any move to get on his feet. His mind and heart was still bothered by the words Marluxia and Larxene have thrown at him. What if, everything he has done, was all for nothing? Sure Ventus will wake up, but Roxas; Axel´s only friend from the Organization would disappear for good. And what about that other girl Naminé spoke about? The one he couldn´t picture a face nor a name? Was she destined to be forever forgotten? He remember that Axel have promised that he would keep bringing them back, but… has that promise really been true? It did come from a Nobody.  
"Maybe… it was never meant for any of us. Being together again" he muttered sad and hid his face in his arms. He barely notice the footsteps approaching, he only did when a familiar voice said hash "you look more pathetic than I remember"  
Lea´s head flew up to the hooded before him, he couldn´t see the face but he could recognize that voice everywhere. He turned his head again away, growling "what do you want?" and asked "are you another haunting memory? If you are, I have gotten enough from Marluxia and Larxene already"  
"and if you recall, Naminé did tell; you will be tested" Saix remarked in a mocking tone. "And it seems that your heart has grown weak"  
Lea sprang on his feet in anger over the insult "say that to my face!"  
Saix eyed him again under the hood "are you that dump that I need to say it twice?"  
Lea growled but looked down, he might not have felt it as Nobody, but being insulted like this was no fun at all.  
"come" Saix suddenly said and left the room. Lea hesitated, for he do remember how their last encounter ended. He still has a sour neck from it.  
Saix stopped and turned to Lea again "don´t be a chicken"  
"I´m not a chicken"  
"then follow me" and Saix began walking again.  
Lea hesitated followed him.  
Saix opened the door and both went into the light the door always made when walking into these ever changing rooms.  
"You do know that I don´t trust you" Lea remarked more than asking.  
"I know, but you still can´t help but hope for the better" Saix remarked back. The light faded and they stood in Twilight Town. Lea glanced confused to the hooded Saix, who just nodded towards an ally and Lea went over to the spot, ready to turn around and attack if Saix suddenly would choose to attack him.  
In the ally Saix had pointed out stood Roxas.  
"Roxas!" Lea called and was about to run over to him, but Saix stopped him by blocking the way with his arm "what are you doing?!" Lea sneered at Saix.  
Saix, of course wasn´t affected by the snapping the red haired gave him. "he won´t see you" he said in matter of fact.  
Lea blinked and Saix explained in his usually hash tone "this is a memory, from Roxas… and you"  
the red haired turned his eyes back to Roxas who was talking to someone "Axel and I have been looking all over for you" but Lea couldn´t see the person Roxas was talking to, nor hearing the answer the person gave Roxas. "why can´t I hear or see that other person?" Lea asked Saix who simple stood and watched the scene.  
"because, the memories hasn´t fully been restored" Saix simple said and Lea turned back to the weird conversation.  
"let´s go home" Roxas said to the invisible person "if you come back voluntarily, Saix will let all this drop. He has to. I don´t care what he said to you. I´ll be there." he reached his hand towards the person with a smile "me and Axel will make sure—" but then he stopped in mid sentence.  
Lea blinked, something was wrong, did the invisible person step away from Roxas?  
"why not?" Roxas asked and tried to reach the person with a pleading "come on…"  
there was a short silence, then Roxas called for the person to wait and got his hand around the person. in that second, Lea saw a figure. But it was so quick that he couldn´t make a face on this person.  
Lea sat his hand on his forehead, for that brief flash had been quite painful. But then, something flew right past him and Saix. It was the Eternal Flames, they hit the person and again Lea saw a figure, this time the person was visible long enough for him to see it was a black haired girl, and then she was gone again.  
Lea turned to the new arrived, just like Roxas and apparently the invisible person as well.  
down from the stairs, came his Nobody: Axel.  
"well, hello there… _" Lea blinked, he couldn´t remember this memory, but something kept telling him that Axel had said that person´s name.  
"Axel?" Roxas asked in surprise "no, wait!" he called and Lea saw a shade of the girl attack his Nobody, who ducked and called his chakrams. Like Roxas, Lea watched helplessly the red haired Nobody and strange girl fight each other.  
"STOP!" Roxas shouted and the girl stopped, only to be knocked out by Axel.  
Lea could see that Roxas was saying something, but he couldn´t hear the word. Axel took the girl up on his shoulders and teleported away.  
Roxas stopped at the place where Axel have teleported and slowly, the boy faded away.  
"do you remember this?" Saix asked and left the place.  
Lea hesitated but again followed Saix. "it all looks so familiar, but I can´t remember when this happed" he admitted to Saix who calmly lead him through the city and into the forest.  
"yes, Axel lost this particular memory when she faded away. Alongside many other days and times he spend with Roxas and her" Saix said in his dull tone.  
"alright, Saix"  
Saix stopped and turned to Lea who glared suspicions at him "what are you trying to accomplice?"  
the red haired did not get an answer, the hooded man just turned around and began walking again.  
"hey! I asked you a question!" Lea yelled and followed "can´t you for once be straight with me?!"  
"like you´re always honest with me?" Saix gave back, and Lea fell to a halt.  
he turned his head away from Saix. "…you got me there"  
and Saix began walking again but stopped when Lea said as he placed a hand on his chest "but… it was hard not to lie, when that was all you ever did as a Nobody. Our entire exiting, the promise to regain our hearts from Kingdom Hearts, it was all a lie"  
Saix eyed him for quite a while, then he asked "do you remember; where your promise of always bringing them back came from?"  
Lea shock his head "…no, I just remember Roxas remained me of it in a strange dream"  
"then I suggest you watch this one closely"  
Lea turned his head to the edge of the forest and the gate to the old mansion. Here a portal opened and Axel walked out, muttering frustrated and with more emotions Axel would have thought possible back then.  
"why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs?" he closed the portal and Lea could see that Axel stood before the same strange girl from before. somehow, he could almost feel what Axel would have felt back then.  
"Axel…" the girl said in an almost muted voice, as if she stood behind a mirror. Still Lea could hear she was sad.  
"_... what are you gonna do?" Axel asked serious her with hands on his hips.  
the girl lowered her head and said with her still incredible sad voice "I´ve decided that I have to go back to where I belong" and yet, Lea heard determination of doing what is right in her voice as well. he turned his eyes back to his Nobody there admitted truthfully  
"well, to be honest, I always felt that was best, right from the very beginning. But you know, it still really bugs me" his fits one of his hands when he added frustrated over this situation "something about this just stinks!"  
"it´s for the good of everyone" her voice got clearer and so did her body, Lea could almost see her purely now.  
"but how do you know that?" Axel asked and Lea said the last alongside his Nobody "everybody thinks they´re right…" he blinked when he realized that he was beginning to remember. The pain, frustration and anger Axel had that day now burned inside Lea and it really began to hurt. Lea sad his hand up to his pained chest as the girl said to Axel "this is right"  
"they´re gonna destroy you!" Axel yelled and Lea couldn´t help but filched from the anger there showed through his heart.  
Axel gasped when the girl called her keyblade, showing she will fight him. "please don´t hold back Axel. Promise"  
Lea did not see what Axel did, but he sure felt it. he felt like he was torn between two path and was forced to take the one he least liked.  
"what´s your problem?!" Axel roared with all the anger and pain he felt that faithful day hammered through Lea. "you both… think you can do whatever you want." Axel growled and glared at the girl before him, almost sneering telling her "well, I´m sick of it"  
Lea´s head felt like it was about to explode of the returning memories, just when Axel made the promise he have tried to keeping alive.

"go on, you just keep running. but I´ll always be there to bring you back!"

Lea hissed in pain as he fell to his knees as memories of this girl flushed back into his mind, connecting the lost pieces and all the pain Axel had felt was doubled inside of Lea´s heart.  
"AXEL!" he roared out, just wanting him to stop, he couldn´t take this pain anymore!

Axel´s eyes wide and stopped in the battle against the girl, his eyes wide bigger as life returned into them and the teardrops makings underneath his eyes faded. Axel took one of his hands up to his pouting head, and when he looked up again, he could feel, all this pain, it was almost unbearable…  
he tried to speak to the girl before him who has lowered the keyblade. It was hard for him to speak with both an aching head and heart.

Saix who still stood in the shadows, watching Axel have become Lea. He learned forward, almost like he was excited over what was going to happen.

"…Xi…Xion" Lea blinked and looked, as if for the first time down at the young black haired girl before him.  
she smiled weakly up to him "Axel, you remember" she said happy and still very sad.  
he nodded slowly back still stunned from the burst of memories and emotions. his eyes wide in a gasp when Xion slowly faded away, he tried to grab her, save her from fading away "Xion!"  
but his hand went right through her.  
she smiled sad to him "I´m sorry… but I can´t stay, I have to return back to Sora"  
he couldn´t muster a word of disbelief, he finally remembered one of his friends and now she have to leave again.  
"…I´m happy you and Roxas remember me again" she took her hand out to him "goodby—"  
"No!" Lea cried and Xion blinked at his sudden outburst.  
he stared determent into her blue eyes "remember what I told you? no matter how many times you both disappear, I will always bring you back" and then he smirked "that´s a promise, got that memorized?"  
Xion giggled and before she vanish completely, she nodded and said "okay, Axel"  
and she was gone.

Lea nodded a single time with a smile to the place she has been, but his smile faded slowly when the pain over losing her yet again returned.  
Saix walked over to him saying hash "Lea, we don´t have time to this"  
the red haired was close to snap at him, how dare he hurry on him when?… but then he realized something. The words may have been hash, but… Lea turned to him with a smirk over his face and said in a cocky way "Lighten up, Isa. this will only take a sec."  
Saix snorted and took the hood down "took you long enough" he looked like Saix, except the scar was missing, his ears weren't pointy, but most of all; his eyes were blue and looking friendly back to him.  
Lea smiled back, but it faded when Isa said with a serious tone "but I`m not the real Isa, he´s still trapped inside his own body, trapped by Xehanort´s darkness.  
"…so you´re only a memory?"  
Isa nodded "yes"  
Lea sighted pretty disappointed and said while he scratched his neck "so, I also need to save you too?"  
to his surprise, Isa´s eyes soften sad "…I don´t think I´m worth the effort" he turned away from Lea, added hard but the red haired could still hear the sadness "you should rather think of a way bring Roxas and Xion back, they are you´re friends after all"  
"and so are you!"  
Isa turned back to Lea who almost glared in disbelief at him "and I will find a way to save you, even if I have to face Xehanort!" he probably have to, but that´s beside the point.  
Isa blinked over this, but then to Lea´s surprise, he smiled, a true smile "then I suggest you get control over that blade of yours" he began walking away "for how poorly you wield it now; Xehanort will surly wipe the floor with you."  
"hey!" Lea yelled and ran over to the memory of his friend "what kind of friend makes such terrible pep talking?!"  
"the one whose terrible at lying. Beside, you know I´m right." Isa said in matter of fact, and smirked to Lea who growled over his friend´s good point, he did still have great problems even calling the keyblade. why does the others make it seems so easy?  
he sighted and admitted to Isa "I guess you are"  
Isa smiled weakly to him, and Lea couldn´t help but grin back. this felt almost like old times. Man, he missed those days!  
but both of their little happy conversation was broken when two dark portals arrived and Marluxia who came out from one of them said smirking "you should have stopped him when you got the change"  
Lea eyes narrowed, this means that Ventus was close to wake up.  
Larxene giggled as she stepped out from her own portal "ohh, I get it, you don´t care about—" she gasped when Isa suddenly struck her down with his claymore and she faded away. "enough" Isa growled hard and turned to Marluxia there said confident as ever "you know she was right, Roxas will disappear" he turned to Lea whose head lowered in sadness.  
"you will lose one of your friends" Marluxia mocked to the sad red haired. But Lea´s head came up again when Isa said hash back to Marluxia "even if he does, it won´t stop Lea. He´s too stubborn to abandon a friend" Isa turned to Lea with a faint smile "something I know from personal experience"  
Lea smiled back, yes, he remember. He had refused to leave Isa when Xehanort attacked them, even he too ended up losing his heart.  
"I never leave a friend behind" Lea said and to his surprise, the keyblade came without problems. He saw the shock in Marluxia´s eyes and couldn´t help but laugh mocking "what? Didn´t expect me being a keyblade wielder? Didn´t you say you were a part of my memories?" and he attacked Marluxia who didn´t even defend himself.  
Lea landed on the ground and like Larxene, Marluxia faded away, this time for good. he straighten up and looked down to his flame design keyblade: Reaching Flames.  
Isa walked over to him as Lea said more to himself than to Isa "I think I finally got the hang of this"  
"I sure hope so" Isa remarked. The blue haired man then turned his eyes up to the sky "you should go, they might need you"

"you´re not coming?" Lea asked with a confused frown.  
Isa shook his head, he did however raise a brow when Lea asked "why not?"  
"because, my time is up" Isa simple said "but before I go, here" he gave Lea a keychain.  
Lea took it and stared confused at it, he had no idea what it could do. He turned his eyes up to Isa again "thanks, I guess. You´re usually not the person who gives presents for no reason"  
Isa chuckled friendly "there is a reason for this one, it will help remaining you, that even if your friends are gone, they are always in there" he pointed at Lea´s chest and the red haired sat slowly his hand on his chest.  
"get it memorized?" Isa smirked as he had copied Lea´s favorite catch phrase and he too was gone.  
Lea stood with closed eyes, still having a hand on his chest. He nodded with a smile "yeah, I got it"


	5. Chapter 5: Versus the Key of Destiny

A/N this chapter original title was "Flurry of the Dancing Flames versus Key of Destiny"  
but I was forced to shorten it when this seems to be too long.

* * *

Not far from the room where Ventus slept, Sora and Kairi had found and joined with Riku and Aqua once again, but Lea was nowhere to be found.  
"do you think he´s alright?" Aqua asked and Kairi said to her calming and full of trust to the fire wielder "he´s tougher than most would think"  
"that´s right" Sora nodded and told the older keyblade master that she did not have to worry about him.  
Aqua nodded and said "this way" and she lead them towards the room. but suddenly, not far from the door. A portal of darkness arrived and out from it walked a hooded person, it was a male and did has the same size as Sora.  
Sora stared tense at the hooded, then he realized who it was "Roxas?" however he got no answer from his Nobody.  
"who is Roxas?" Aqua asked and Sora explained "he´s my Nobody, but he´s not me" he was probably the only one who did not see Roxas as a part of him. More like an misunderstood friend.  
"and I never will be" Roxas growled and summoned his two keyblade, Oathkeeper, keyblade of light and promise and Oblivion, the keyblade of darkness and sorrow.  
Aqua gasped, but not because of the two keyblades, it was because she recognized the voice "that voice, it can´t… Ven?"  
Roxas eyed Aqua, giving a slight gasp of surprise of the name. but then he tremble in anger and hissed "not him either!" and he attacked the group, not at all caring he was outnumbered.  
the group quickly dodged his assault, and Riku and Aqua called their keyblades but Sora stopped them before they could counter attack Roxas. "wait! Let me try and talk to him" Sora said to them.  
Riku´s eyes narrowed "it won´t work, Roxas is consumed by Darkness"  
"just, just let me try" Sora almost begged his friend and Kairi agreed with Sora "who else knows Roxas better than Sora?"  
Reluctant, Riku and Aqua agreed and Sora went over to Roxas who yet again stood ready to attack.  
"Roxas, you do remember me, right?" Sora asked his Nobody.  
Roxas nodded "yeah, I do"  
"then, why are you attacking us?"  
Roxas did not answer right away, when he did, it was in a furies shout and he was surrounded by Darkness "I´m tired being you, I want to be me!" and he attacked Sora, forcing the boy to call his own keyblade, the Kingdom Key  
"and nobody else!" like last time they fought, Roxas fought with rage, and deadly balance with the two keyblades, not giving Sora much more change than defend. It succeeded Roxas hitting Sora so hard with Oblivion than the brown haired boy landed few meters away from him.  
"…Roxas" Sora wheezed and sat slowly up "I know you want that, I wish it for you too—"  
"shut up!" Roxas sneered at him and then began yelling in anger "nobody cares what I want, just because I´m a Nobody, it doesn't mean I don´t have rights!" and he attacked again. "because of you, I have lost everything!" but he never got a strike on Sora again. for right in that second, a wall of flames separated Roxas from Sora and the rest. It shocked everyone, mostly Roxas and even more when he heard a way too familiar voice taunting him with deadly seriously ironic "simple amazing, Roxas"  
Roxas turned around and out from the fire walked out the man he saw as his best friend, Axel.  
Somehow, Axel did look kind of different and it wasn´t the change of clothing there did it. there was something there have change in the red haired eyes, Roxas just couldn´t say what is was though.  
"Axel" Roxas almost gasped in shock and relief, seeing his old friend. but then, darkness surrounded him again.  
Roxas knew something was wrong, but he just… couldn´t stop it. the rage he has trapped inside of him build up again, all the anger, sorrow and frustration got a tighter hold around him, he couldn´t stop it.  
Axel narrowed his eyes "I see the darkness got you too"  
"like you ever… cared!" Roxas shouted and went in battle stage.

Lea saw the darkness the Organization there have forced Sora into a sleep have really messed up Roxas. Or maybe it has just awakened the anger Roxas have kept hidden inside for so long, well, there was only one way to find out.  
Roxas attacked and Lea quickly dodged the assault, the dual wielding boy was a little sloppier now he´s mind was clouded by rage.  
however, Lea got a little distracted when Sora suddenly cried that he wanted to help and tried to get through the flames.  
"stay out of this Sora!" Lea yelled angry back and gasped jumped away from a keyblade "this between him and me!"  
"but—"  
"maybe you´re his somebody, but I´m his best friend" Lea told him and called his chakrams, he threw them after Roxas who was forced to block, giving the fire wielder the time to tell harshly at the others "so leave this to me!"  
Riku sat his hand on Sora´s shoulder and his friend reluctant agreed, forced to watch the battle from the other side of the flames.  
Lea turned his attention back to Roxas and their battle could really begin. And for Lea, this seems like a really bad joke of déjà vu of the last time he saw Roxas, right when he lost to him and forced to let him join Sora. Back then, he would never have thought that he would fight him again, now as human.  
the battle was long and hard, none of them refused to give in. but it did succeed Roxas to make a powerful assault on the red haired with beams of light and darkness, it made Lea lose his footing for a few seconds, but that was long enough for Roxas to strike him down.  
Lea hissed, holding over the spot where the keyblade had hit him. this attack has been so powerful that he barely could stand on his feet, still he forced himself to battle. he just couldn´t lose this, not this time.

Roxas turned around to him, angry that the one he thought was Axel, just refused to quit. Axel was badly wounded, and still he was willing to fight on. Roxas sneered really annoyed over this "why don´t you quit?!"  
Axel smirked up to him "do I really need to answer?" he asked as if they just were having a casual conversation.  
that did sort of tick Roxas off, Axel didn´t seems to take this serious. "what´s wrong with you?!" he roared at Axel who got on his feet again.  
Axel snorted and looked angry at him "wrong with me? what´s wrong with YOU?!" he almost shouted out in anger and more flames around them arrived "do you have any idea what I have gone through, just to see you again?!"  
"I didn´t ask for your help!" Roxas yelled and attacked again, his blades hit one of the chakrams, but then to his shock, it turned into a keyblade.  
Axel, was a keyblade wielder?! Roxas couldn´t believe this, when, how did this happen?!  
Axel forced Roxas away, and the hood over the boys head fell down, revealing his shocked face.  
the fire wielder straighten up, still looking angry, but Roxas could see sadness as well in those eyes.  
"no, you didn´t but…" Axel first said serious, then he smiled friendlier as he said with a weak smile "I wouldn´t be a good friend if I didn´t help you anyway. "  
the young boy stared into the green eyes, slowly realizing that this man wasn´t Axel but what Sora was to him. this was Axel´s human part, his somebody.  
but, if this was Axel´s human, then that must means… Roxas eyes wide when he remembered a faint memory of Axel, somehow badly injured, fighting alongside Sora in the in-between against a horde of Nobodies and then… he sacrificed himself. He remembered how much sadness he felt when he watched, through Sora his best friend fade away.  
the darkness there had a hold around him faded away when he realized how much Axel has been sacrificed, just for his sake. he stepped away from the human of Axel "…Axel, I…" he couldn´t find words, all he could was dismiss his keyblades and turn away from him. Axel was gone… now, in his place, was someone, who looked just like him… but was it really Axel? His best friend, the one who would always be there for him if needed?

"Let´s meet, in the next life"

Roxas turned back to him again, slightly surprised over the same words Axel gave him the last time they saw each other. Could it really be?...

Lea smiled weakly towards the baffled boy and finally he allowed the flames to disappear when he said with a unsure smile "didn´t think we actually would meet again, if you know what I mean" his smile did fade when Roxas again turned away from him. he sighted "come now, don´t be like that"  
"but you´re… not Axel…" Roxas muttered.  
so he had figured it out? Why couldn´t Sora have been this quick? Lea walked over to him and sat friendly his hand on Roxas shoulder, completely ignoring the slight flinch.  
"I´m still Axel… eh more or less" he added and scratched his chin in thoughts.  
Roxas looked up to him and couldn´t help but laugh.  
Lea turned his head down to him, asking "why are you laughing?"  
"it´s good to have you back, Axel" Roxas said after finish laughing, finally able to realize that Axel was still alive.  
Lea nodded with a smile back to him, he didn´t really bother that Roxas called him his Nobody name. there wasn´t the same distrust as the others had when they said it, with Roxas, there was only the sound of friendship they both shared.  
Lea chuckled down to the boy, asking teasing "did you really think you will get rid of me that easily?"  
"I had my doubts" Roxas admitted and the two friends turned to the rest of the keyblade wielders and Roxas tried his best apologies his behavior.

Sora as always forgave him "that´s okay" he smiled and took his hands behind his head "at least Lea snapped you out of it"  
"Lea?" Roxas asked with a frown, he turned his eyes to the red haired who just smiled and said "my true name, get used to it"  
Roxas nodded slowly, hoping he would quickly get used to this change of name. he then turned his eyes to the woman who have called him Ven. she looked awfully sad at him.  
"you look just like him" she muttered.  
"huh?" Roxas raised a brow and turned to Lea who briefly said that it was better he just saw for himself. And Roxas followed the group into the chamber, not sure what was going to happen now.


	6. Chapter 6: Evadible fate

The group went to the Chamber of Wakening, here both Roxas and Sora gasped when they saw the boy, sleeping in a throne. The boy named Ventus. He looked just like Roxas! If Roxas hasn't been around, staring in disbelief at the sleeping boy, then Sora and Riku would probably have mistaken Ventus for Roxas, before realizing it wasn't the one they thought it were. Kairi wouldn't know the difference, this was the first time she actually have met either of the blonds.

Lea and Aqua was more or less the only ones who knew the difference, but that was because they both have been mentoring each boy and knew their personalities and how they would act difference to new things.

Sora turned with eyes wide of disbelief to Aqua "he— he looks like"

"Roxas?" Lea finished for Sora who nodded up to him, before turning to Roxas who have walked closer to the sleeping boy.

the Nobody turned to the group, more confused and in despair as ever "why do I look like him?" he asked the group.

"because you´re connected to both Sora, and Ven" Riku explained, who unlike Sora, has seen what Ansem the wise has hidden inside Sora and knew to the deep connection between them. "that´s why you also can wield two keyblades."

"no" Roxas shook his head and summoned Oblivion, a keyblade living up to its real bearer "this keyblade belongs to someone else…"

"Xion" Lea said, making Roxas turn to him, also with a sad look in his blue eyes. The boy nodded "yeah…"

the red haired turned to Riku and Sora, still pretty sad about that with Xion. Any yet the part with Xion wasn't the worst right now, she could still be saved. Lea sank hard, he wanted mostly to lie and shake this nagging feeling off, but if this truly would be the last time.

"before you wake him up… I need to tell Roxas something" he told the two young keyblade masters.

"can´t you tell him afterward? You know, when Ven is up?" Sora asked him confused. Even Roxas looked at him confused.

Lea sighted "I´m… not sure I can. And, Roxas deserves to know." he turned to Roxas who weakly smiled up to him in gratitude that Lea acknowledge him as an equal and not as a merely Nobody who doesn't need to know anything.

"someone told me that when Sora wakes up Ventus, you will cease to exist." Lea explained with a big lump in his throat, still fearing that it was the truth and not some petty lie.

everyone in the room gasped, but it was Roxas there was the first who spoke, rather asking in horror "why are you telling me this? even if it were true…"

Lea sighted and turned his head away, refusing to look into those horrified blue eyes "now you know what I meant, finding out the truth… doesn't always works out for the better" and added more sad than ever "at least not for everyone" but Roxas needed to know this, as much as Lea hates it. Roxas have to make a choice.

Roxas head fell in sadness, but still he turned to Sora, fully knowing his part of this plan "wake him"

everyone in the room stared shocked at Roxas who explained with hard, but still very sad blue eyes. "I´m just a Nobody, I wasn't suppose to exist in the first place. no matter how much I hate this, my fate is to fade away, just like the rest."

the blond glance to Lea "exactly like the others did."

Lea wished he could say it wasn't true, Axel didn't truly fade away, he still lives on, inside of him. while Roxas… well, he might live on in both Sora and Ventus, but… he wouldn't be him anymore. they wouldn't be able to talk to each other as they now, so in Lea´s eyes…. Roxas would fade away, never to be seen again.

he did turn surprised to Sora there suddenly exclaimed "that´s not true! I mean, Axel returned as human. Wouldn´t you?"

sometimes, that boy was just too dump for his own good. "you´re his human" Lea told him in matter of fact "he will fade back into you and Ventus" he turned to the sleeping Ventus who did looks like he was listing, for he looked pretty sad.

Sora shook his head "no, I´m me, Ventus is who he is and so is Roxas. He might come from both of me and Ven, but he will always be his own person"

"so you won´t disappear" Kairi said kindly to him and added "like Naminé said, Ventus isn't the only one who could be saved today" Roxas stared baffled at Kairi, he did remember her when he somehow got in contact with her, but beside from that. she was just a girl who did remain him of Xion, and unsure if her words could be trusted.

Lea crossed his arms, he still wasn't convinced. He wanted to believe it just has been a lie, but the mere thoughts that it might be the true were, well scary.

he glanced his green eyes to Roxas who seems to be calming down and nodded to Sora and Kairi with a smile "thanks" and he turned to Ventus "let´s wake him up" he said smiling, although his eyes still have a hint of sadness.

"yeah!" Sora nodded and went up beside Roxas, completely failed to notice the sadness in the others eyes. they both called their keyblades. Sora´s Kingdom Key and Roxas Oathkeeper.

Roxas sat his keyblade on Sora´s who lifted the Kingdom Key and pointed the shining keyblade at the sleeping boy. A sharp light surrounded the three boys, almost blinding the rest.

Lea first covered his eyes, but then he chose to ignore it and looked desperately into the light, trying to see Roxas.

he saw Roxas, and right before the light got too bright, the blond boy turned his head to him, giving him a stare there told he was happy to see him again and sorry it have to be so brief. he, probably like Lea thought that this will be the last time they would see each other. Lea smiled weakly back to the boy, wishing they had a little more time, but faith never has been kind to neither of them.

Roxas smiled weakly back to his older friend. he hasn't at all been calmed down by the cheerful speeches from Sora and Kairi, he has just pretended he was alright and wanted this over as quick as possible, before he would get cold feet and try and run away from the evadible. He knew, that a Nobody like him can never hope becoming somebody.

Every Nobodies fate was to fade back into their human selves and only leave a memory behind.


	7. Chapter 7: Reawakening

"Roxas!" Lea cried and before the unconscious boy fell on the floor, Lea caught him. the boy did not look good and it could be any second he would fade away.  
Sora gasped over his Nobody´s sudden collapse at the finishing of giving back Ventu´s heart. when the light slowly began to fade, Sora turned to Lea who held the unconscious Roxas. Lea called his friend´s name but he got no response. He lowered his head in sadness, trying his best not to cry.  
"he won´t fade"

Lea turned his eyes up to Ventus who has open his eyes. The other blond boy jumped down from the throne, giving Aqua, who has gone over to him an ensuring smile that he was alright, and turned to Lea who still held Roxas in his arms. "he´s been freed, still, he is very strongly connected to me and Sora" Ventus explained with a confident smile there made Lea believe his every word.  
"but, why won´t he wake up then?" Sora asked the person who helped him gaining a keyblade, and without knowing, he helped Ventus getting a new change in life.  
Ventus´s eyes harden slightly but it seems he couldn´t turn as serious as Roxas could. "I guess… it´s because he does not have anything to hold on right now."  
"in other words, you have no idea what happed" Lea remarked with a humorless grin.  
Ventus laughed embarrassed sat his hands behind his head, finally showing that even asleep for almost 12 years, he still was just a kid in mind and shared the same cluelessness as Sora.  
a bit more ensured that Roxas wouldn´t die on him, Lea smirked up to the pure hearted boy "told you I would see you again someday"

"yeah" Ventus beamed back, happy that Lea hasn´t change much. the young keyblade wielder then turned to Sora who happily presented his friends and like they always has known Ventus, Riku and Kairi talked to him as a old friend who has have returned from a long journey.  
the two elder watched the trio speak and laugh with Ventus. Then Aqua turned to Lea who got on his feet with the unconscious boy in his arms "where will you take him?" she asked, fully knowing that he was leaving them.  
Lea glanced back to the female Keyblade Master "home" he simple said and left the room, he could always catch up with Ventus later. Right now, Roxas needed him more.

After what seemed like hours, duo till he was very restless and just wanted Roxas back to Radiant Garden as quick as possible, he finally arrived and got the unconscious boy into a more comfortable sleeping spot than a Gummiship´s chair there could feel like sitting on a wooded stool in the long run.  
"wake up soon" Lea muttered as he watched Roxas sleep in a bed inside Lea´s home. the red haired then turned around and left the room, well knowing that just standing around doing nothing wouldn´t help any of them.  
he went over to the Restoration Committee and spoke to the local healer Aerith about his friend´s condition. Aerith had a great knowledge of different illness and could most of the time fix the problem with either a spell or a good portion of first aid. After hearing about Roxas, Aerith ensured Lea, from how he spoke about Roxas that the boy was fine, but Lea should still keep a close eye on the boy and tell her if anything would change.  
Lea thanked for her advices and left with a thanks.  
so he began waiting for Roxas to wake up and when he wasn´t sitting or standing anxious beside Roxas´s bed, he was out and training with his keyblade. he had finally become able to summon it properly and that was about god darn time! it was getting embarrassing that he couldn´t call it when needed.

"that was the last one" Lea said to Leon inside the city. he have been killing the time by helping the Restoration Committee with the local Heartless problem.  
Leon, the leader of the Committee dismissed his own weapon, a blade there looked like a gun. "good job, thanks Lea" he said to the red haired with a single nod.  
"I was just doing my job" Lea dismissed him casually, he still wasn´t completely used to be thanked for his work, but boy, did it feel good!  
Leon smirked at Lea and asked with friendly concern when the red haired was about to leave and go back home "how´s your friend?"  
Lea stopped and only glance back to the slightly younger male "he still hasn´t awoken"  
"that´s too bad" Leon said and left, fully knowing, like the rest about Lea´s unconscious friend.  
Lea watched him leave, and when Leon was gone, he turned his eyes up to the sky "yeah, that is too bad…" and he went back home.  
back at his home, the red haired was met by a joyful surprise. Roxas has awoken.


	8. Chapter 8: Lean all over again

Lea went smiling over to him "how are you feeling?" he asked.  
the blond boy turned slowly to him, unsure. Then hesitating, he asked the older male "how long… was I´m asleep?"  
"almost two weeks" Lea replied and couldn´t help laughing when Roxas admitted "no surprise I feel like a zombie" he began looking around in the room, after a quick scan of the area, Roxas asked "where are we?"  
"Radiant Garden, my home world" Lea replied calmly and gave a brief explanation that it wasn´t like he just could throw Roxas off in The World That Never Was. "it would make me a bad friend" Lea smiled.  
Roxas nodded slowly "…yeah, it would…"  
Lea caught quickly something was wrong with the boy "okay, what´s wrong?"  
"I… didn´t expect I would still be here… you know after that with Ventus"  
"that makes the two of us" Lea said, happy that what those illusions had said to him was just a lie. He went over to the boy, sat his hand on his shoulder and said with a smile "come, let´s get some ice cream"  
Roxas nodded and followed Lea outside. At the market place, Lea brought two ice creams from Scrooge McDuck and offered one of them to Roxas. the blond took it, but he did not eat the ice cream, instead he began looking around, at the world where Lea came from.  
"never excepted to see my actual home again" Lea admitted, he eyed Roxas who gave him a confused stare, and he replied to the silent question "I had been a Nobody for too long, it didn´t exactly help on believing"  
"then why did you keep on fighting?" it was a deeper question than it first appeared.  
Lea took the last bite of his ice cream, realizing "I have never really thought about it."  
Why did Axel keep on fighting, for he certainly didn´t have hope becoming human again, okay he had a little hope when Roxas and Xion appeared. Still it was brief and he was left lost once again when both were gone. So why did he keep on fighting?

emI want everyone I meet to remember me. inside people´s memories, I can live forever./em

Lea blinked of the sudden memory of his past, he slowly sat his hand up to his chest. He wanted to be remembered, he did not want to be forgotten. "I guess, I did not wish to fade away, forgotten"  
Roxas snorted friendly "you are a little hard to forget"  
Lea smiled back "yeah—"

em you know I won´t forget you, believe me I try all the time./em

the memory of his voice came so quick that he had no chance stopping it, the pain he had tried to hide deep inside smacked right through his heart with full strength. He gasped of the pain, not realizing Roxas was staring confused at him.  
"Axel— um Lea, are you.. alright?" Roxas asked, almost forgetting that the red haired wasn´t a Nobody anymore, so seeing him with this shocked look over his face, was… startling.  
Lea stepped away, hurt over the accidently memory Roxas gave him. still, he put on a mask, smiling down to the boy "I´m fine"  
"…you don´t look fine" Roxas said back, admitted "I never seen you look sad before"  
"that´s how being human" Lea learned up against the wall Roxas sat on "you can´t always control your emotions"  
"what do you feel?"  
he did not really feel like summon up that he had a friend who later turned into the most cold hearted bastard in the Organization and how he was going to save this said cold hearted bastard from Xehanort´s grasp and somehow find a way becoming friends again.  
why oh why do all this have to be so complicated?  
Lea stepped away from the wall "it doesn´t matter" he turned to the boy who frowned suspicious at him, Lea almost forgot how much smarter Roxas were from Sora. He sighted.  
"it´s about my past, before the Organization" he briefly told Roxas and quickly added before the boy could ask him about it "and I don´t want to talk about it"  
Roxas frowned "is it really that bad?" he got no answer, but he could guess the answer from the pained look in the red haired green eyes.  
there was a moment of awkward silence, Roxas broke it by asking something there has been bugging him for a while "what am I suppose to do now?"  
Lea eyed him and Roxas explained, lost of this new continuing of his life "I´m not sure you have noticing it, but I have no clue of whatsoever how to live a normal life. sure I tried it in the digital Twilight Town, but I don´t want that to count"  
Lea smiled ruffled his younger friends hair "then it´s a good thing I can teach you" getting a back thought that he no longer could use the ´you´ll know when you have a heart´ excuse anymore, which could be very troublesome in the future.  
Roxas smiling hit Lea´s hand away from his hair "okay, where to start?" happy that he wasn´t left on his own in this whole new world of being human. His red haired friend smirked "first, you need some prober clothing. You don´t have to walk around in that dusty cloak anymore"  
"okay"  
that was a start, but Lea knew that Roxas would have to learn more and the only one he could ask was, the said red haired who knew that this will be a whole new challenge.

so Roxas stayed with Lea who took the role of mentor for the boy. Lea did often finding himself in situations of explaining things there seems so oblivious for most, while for the blond it was confusing.  
at first, most things normal life did really confuse Roxas who was used to fight, gather hearts and avoid the locals.  
Lea introduced the boy for the Restoration Committee who quickly got a bunch of new friends, whatever he wanted it or not. Roxas did slowly getting used to the people in the committee and soon appreciated the different form of friendship each gave him, something he wasn´t used to till now. for Axel and Xion had been his only friends in the Organization.  
he still have to fight Heartless though, the Heartless did have a habit attacking the city with little warning.  
it was in those battles Roxas discovered that Lea had quite a competition side and often would challenge the boy seeing who could take out most Heartless. Roxas did most often win, for unlike Lea, he was used to use the keyblade and couldn´t stop laughing when Lea throws frustrated the keyblade after a Heartless he couldn´t hit, at least when he threw it; the keyblade rarely missed the target.

"you know, I sure wish those pesky Heartless would hold still once in a while" Lea complained after finishing their form of Heartless killing mission. He stroke his sour butt after have fell on it, chasing one of the faster Heartless  
Roxas turned to him with a small laugh, well knowing that Lea has been running more around after the Heartless because he wasn´t used to wield a blade. Still, seeing the red haired fall on his behind after a stupid chase has been too much fun to watch and ignore.  
"you just need some practice" Roxas said and dismissed Oathkeeper.  
Lea snorted "it feels like I doing nothing but that" he looked down at his own keyblade "and still I haven´t gotten used to wield this stupid thing"  
Roxas chuckled, after spending a week around Lea. Roxas could surly see a difference between Lea and from when he was Axel . as human, Lea was quicker to annoy, but also quicker to amuse of something funny. Lea could be lazy sometimes, always willing to skip duties to help a friend or just have fun. Even so, Lea and Axel was pretty much the same, something Roxas was happy about. he wouldn´t have that he couldn´t recognize his friend in his Somebody. He had feared that a little, but not anymore.  
"do you want me to teach you?" Roxas asked Lea who turned to him with surprised eyes, asking "you?" he smiled turned away "nah, I pass"  
"suit yourself Mister- I-don´t-know-how -to-wield-a-keyblade" Roxas teased and couldn´t stop laughing from the frown Lea gave him.  
"hey, I´m not that bad"  
"tell that to the Heartless!" Roxas laughed.  
Lea growled annoyed, but after a while he sighted in defeat and asked with a weak smile "so, practice tomorrow?"  
Roxas nodded and they went to their new usual spot at the market place.  
here Roxas asked, missing Xion being around "do you think we will see Xion again?"  
Lea stopped eating his ice-cream and turned away with a sad look, always sad when Roxas spoke of Xion. To be honest, Roxas did also feel pretty sad. Unlike Lea, he was with Xion in her last moments and often found himself crying when thinking about it.  
"….I don´t know" Lea admitted and added in matter of fact "I´m not even sure where she could be if she was out there"  
"do you think she´s in another world?"  
"maybe, but we can´t go out and search for her right now"  
"why not?"  
Lea eyed the boy, asking "have you gained you full strength yet?"  
Roxas narrowed his eyes, slightly annoyed why Lea was worried he wasn´t in his full strength, he was more than capable to take down the strongest Heartless "I can take down the Heart—"  
"it´s not the Heartless I worry about" Lea interrupted pretty harshly. He quickly realized his mistake and turned his head away with a "sorry."  
"what is there beside the Heartless?" Roxas asked but Lea wouldn´t answer and Roxas have learned that when the red haired was like this, you might as well just let the subject be and take it up later.  
it was pretty annoying that Lea often kept secrets from him, as a stupid way to protecting. it was really annoying, but Roxas knew he was forced to deal with it, for this was how Lea was. finishing his ice cream, Roxas jumped down from the wall, muttering "I´m going back" and left the Marked place.

Lea simple nodded and allowed the boy going back on his own. He sighted looked down at his own finished ice cream. He has never been worried when Roxas took on the Heartless, but he feared what would happen if they met the Organization out in the other worlds. Lea hated to admit it out loud, but he wasn´t strong enough to protect Roxas and the boy wasn´t strong enough either to handle a Seeker of Darkness.  
the red haired blinked turned his gaze upward when he heard a strange sparkling sound and saw some sort of jumping light going down to the city. he has seen this light before, back when King Mickey and Riku has been in big trouble against Ansem and Xemnas, Donald and Goofy have used that light to save them.  
"I wonder who it could be?" Lea asked and quickly went against the spot where the light has landed. Whoever has used this light was an ally and maybe had some information of how the others were doing.


	9. Chapter 9: Two with the same face

Roxas went through the Central Square, not at all bothering with his surroundings. He was wondering why Lea refused they left Radiant Garden, was there something out there worse than the Heartless? If there were, then what was it? it must be pretty scary if even Lea refuses to leave before his strength has fully returned.

Roxas did not have more time thinking about it, for seconds later, after collide with someone else. Roxas found himself on his butt and dizzy from the sudden collide "sorry" he said and turned to the one he had bumped into.

Roxas eyes wide in a gasp, for the person he has bumped into looked exactly like him! the only diffidence was the clothing, but even that looked more or less the same. he has seen this guy before, this was Ventus.

his look alike Ventus smiled back to him "that´s alright... hey I know you" the boy said when first now got a better look at the very baffled Roxas.

Roxas blinked "you do?" he asked and got on his feet as well as his look alike. They have never met in person, or have they?

Ventus nodded with a smile "yeah, we met, sorta" he admitted and crossed his arms with a slight frown "you were unconscious, so I guess this is actually the first time we meet"

Roxas did not answer, still trying getting used to there was someone before him with that face. But why should he be surprised? After all, everything about him was from someone else…

"I´m Ventus, but most call me Ven" Ventus presented himself with a big smile. well, Roxas could tell their personalities were pretty different, Ventus was so… cheerful.

"I´m Roxas" Roxas said, he crossed his arms in thoughts, then asked "how is it you—"

"Ven!" someone suddenly called and both boys turned to Mickey who smiled in great relief "you´re awake!"

"Mickey!" Ventus called happy and Mickey ran over to the boy, they both began chattering like real good friends.

Roxas stood baffled, not sure how to react on this sudden reunion. "um…"

Ventus and Mickey stopped their chattering and Ventus said kind of embarrassed of leaving Roxas out "oh, Mickey, this is my new friend Roxas"

"friend?" Roxas asked confused and Ventus nodded "yeah, we´re friends, right?" he asked and sat smiling his hands behind his head.

Roxas did have gotten more friends here in Radiant Garden, but with them it had been weeks before any of them called each other friends, and Ventus, who only have met him, called him a friend already? just like that?

He did not answer Ventus, not sure he should agree with his look alike or just tell the boy he did not see him as a friend, not yet at least.

"gosh, you DO really look identical"

Roxas blinked and looked down to the mouse."I know" he said and turned back to Ventus, admitting "something I need getting used to"

"same here!" Ventus grinned with hands behind his head, "but I think it´s pretty awesome too" suddenly Ventus smile faded slightly when he saw someone behind Roxas, but seconds later, Ventus laughed waved to someone behind "hey, Lea!"

Lea who stood also pretty baffled over the scene, seeing Ventus speaking with Roxas like nothing was wrong and Roxas didn´t have his appearance. However, he did quickly get over it and went over to the small group "I didn´t know you were here Ventus" Lea said to the boy with a smile.

"you know him?" Roxas asked the older male who nodded "yeah, we met each other when I was on your age"

Roxas frowned "why didn´t you tell me?" his eyes harden "was it the reason you befriended me?"

better stop this before Roxas would blow a fuse, "whoa easy with the accusations Roxas, I have never seen you and Ventus as the same person" he told the boy and added a little embarrassed he actually forgot Ventus "I uhh, only remembered Ventus when I saw him in CO"

"CO?" Ventus asked, not at all seeing to be bothered that Lea forgot about him.

Roxas made a quick explanation that CO was a short name for Castle Oblivion.

the fire wielder eyed Ventus, a little surprised over the boy wasn´t bothered of being forgotten "you don´t seemed upset I forgot about you"

Ventus shrugged casually "we only met once, and that was very quick, so it´s no big deal." He smiled up to Lea "for you did remember our little promise"

now it was Roxas turn to ask "what promise?" and Ventus repeated what Lea said back then "something about: I´ll see you when I see ya, because, we´re friends now"

"let me guess" Roxas friendly interrupted "he used his "got it memorized" as the last touch?"

"yup!" and both blonds chuckled.

Lea rolled his eyes, at least they seems to be on good terms with each other and that´s good. Roxas was known to get quickly confused and angry if he didn´t get the answers he was looking for. Lea´s smile faded slightly when Roxas began asking Ventus about his past "how was Lea as a kid?"

Ventus eyed Lea who wasn´t sure if he liked that intense stare or not, it was like Ven looked right into his soul, it made him wonder if Ventus still saw the childish upbeat and what Isa would obnoxious brat he was back then? Deep inside, he did hope he was the same as Ventus saw him the first time they met.

after a few painfully moments of waiting, Ventus smiled turned back to Roxas "more or less the same, I guess"

"you guess?"

Ventus chuckled embarrassed "hey, I only met him once, and back then, he challenged me to a childish fight, I won of course" he added with a grin up to Lea who protested with just as big a grin "hey, it was a draw"

"right, although I do agree with Isa on that one, where is he anyway?" Ventus asked, first now realizing that Isa wasn´t around. Lea gasped and turned away. of course Ventus knew about Isa, back when they were kids, him and the blue haired never was far from each other back then. While now… could the void between them ever be repaired? He turned away from the boys and the small king, hoping they haven´t seen the pain in his eyes "he´s… not around"

"whose Isa?" Roxas asked and Lea was somehow happy that Roxas haven´t yet seen the connection between Isa and his Nobody Saix, but Roxas was a smart kid and it would only be in matter of time before the cat was out from the bag.

he sighted and briefly told the boy "Isa was a childhood friend of mine." Better tell half the truth before Ventus gives more information he did not want to reveal, not yet at least. "our friendship was broken when… I turned into a Nobody" he had been close to say "we" but had succeed correction himself in the last second.

"okay" Roxas nodded. Both him and Lea saw the hurt stare Ventus gave Lea "I´m sorry Lea"

Lea just nodded, forced a smile and asked Mickey, trying to change to subject "so, what are you doing here?"

"I was going to speak with Ansem the wise" Mickey said and added more seriously "he may have information about where to find Xehanort"

"whose Xehanort?" Roxas asked Lea, but it was Ventus who replied with a angry voice "a very evil and powerful Keyblade master. " he hesitated and sat his hand up to his chest "Aqua told me, he did something really bad against Terra. Trapping him inside the darkness"

Mickey nodded and said to the blond "he´s our enemy and it´s our duty to stop him and save our friends"

Roxas did not get all of this, all he did know from Ventus´s and Mickey´s explanation; that this Xehanort was an enemy and he has done something bad against Ventus´s friend. That made him wonder "do you think he got Xion too?"

Lea gasped when Roxas asked that question, but he kept quiet and letting Ventus and Mickey exchange a glance, before Mickey replied "it could be possible"

"then, we have to find Xehanort!"

this time, Lea stepped in before Roxas would do something really reckless, that was Lea´s job, not the boy´s "whoa there, you´re not ready to face Xehanort"

"Lea is right" Mickey said and turned his eyes up to Ventus "none of us are"

Ventus nodded in agreement, Aqua had told him everything and how much it counts they are strong enough to face thirteen powerful Seekers of Darkness. this was a fight they just couldn´t lose. "Mickey and Lea are right Roxas, we´re not ready to face them just yet"

Lea sighted in relief, seeing that Mickey´s and Ventus´s words seemed to calm Roxas down. however, he knew he couldn´t keep Roxas in the dark. Maybe it was time to show him more of the truth. Lea turned to Mickey "mind we go with you up to the castle? I need to speak with Ienzo about a few things."

"sure!" Mickey smiled "we can all go together!"

Lea nodded and glanced down to Roxas with a more seriously smile "I think it´s time you meet some old faces"

Roxas blinked, not sure what he meant.


	10. Chapter 10: Inside the Computer room

Near the castle´s gate, the small group was met by the Heartless, but because they all were good fighters, these weak Soldier Heartless were no challenge killing at all. so it did somehow turn into a game who got most Heartless.

Ventus created a small tornado and took down three soldier heartless. And Roxas used his element of light to take down just as many as Ven.

After those two attack only one was left. Lea grinned to the blonds "nice one!"and turned to the last Heartless, however it got destroyed by someone else. And out from the shadows arrived the former Cloaked Schemer, now known as Ansem the Wise´s youngest apprentice: Ienzo.

"if you two are done playing around" he slammed his lexicon together with a annoyed frown "I need you to swoop down the rest inside the castle" and he went back inside the castle, fully expecting them to follow him.

"someone seems being in a foul mood" Lea muttered under his breath, so only Ventus and Roxas heard it.

Roxas took a single step towards where Ienzo went, he knew his Nobody and found it startling seeing another familiar face from the Organization "was that?"

"yup" Lea nodded as they too went inside "but it won´t surprise me if he won´t give you much thoughts, you only saw him in your first week"

"before he and the others got eliminated in Castle Oblivion" Roxas muttered, he did see the regretful look Lea had in his eyes, but wasn´t sure why.

Ventus came up beside them "eliminated?" both Lea and Roxas turned to the young keyblade wielder "how can he be eliminated and still be here?"

"when a person´s Heartless and Nobody are destroyed, the person is restored to its original, complete form" Lea told the other blond, who still looked quite confused "a Nobody? What´s that?"

"a person without a heart" Lea said, added to change the topic "we better follow Ienzo before he throws us into an illusion nightmare"

Roxas and Ventus nodded, and they went inside the castle.

they quickly caught on to Ienzo and helped him getting rid of the Heartless. The young apprentice then lead the group into Ansem´s studies, replying polite when Mickey asked about Ansem the wise "he and Even is busy discussion about safety protocol" he turned his gaze down to the mouse "he should return soon" and suggested that the mouse could wait in the studies. Mickey did and Ienzo and the rest went into the big computer inside the next room beside the studies.

"now where was I?"

"what are you doing?" Ventus asked and Ienzo explained: "I´m trying to recycle and recreate lost data´s. maybe Xehanort left us some potential clues of his whereabouts. Unfortunately all this is rather complicated, instead actually solving our little problem"

"huh?" Ventus titled his head, pretty clueless of what Ienzo just said. So Lea kindly translated "he says to find any clues where Xehanort is or maybe he left something behind, but he´s having trouble finding anything"

Ventus nodded "okay" and turned to Ienzo again "can we help?"

Ienzo turned around to the boy with a dull expression "I see no possibilities where you could fit into my complications"

Roxas blinked, but unlike Ventus, he has been dealing with long or difficult words like this in the Organization and could more or less understand what Ienzo has been saying "so, you don´t need help" he said more than actually asking.

Ienzo turned his left eye to the boy with a faint smile "clever boy" he turned his eyes to Lea "I see Roxas has gotten more observant and aware of his surroundings than when I last saw him in the Organization"

Lea nodded and both former Nobodies looked to Roxas who couldn´t stop blushing of the praise, something he wasn´t used to at all from the Organization.

the red haired then turned his attention back to Ienzo "so, have you found anything about the others whereabouts?"

Ienzo shook his head "no, as I said before, the data´s has been corrupted" he turned to the computer "and I´m uncertain how much I can actually save"

"can´t Tron help?"

the small group turned around and in the door stood Sora and Kairi, strangely enough, Riku weren´t with them this time.

"whose Tron?" Ventus´s asked and Ienzo replied for Sora.

"it´s a self thinking program, programmed to defend the system" Ienzo explained and turned to Sora again "I already tried, but I get no response from Tron whatsoever."

"then, I go in and look for him" Sora said and ran over to the computer, but Ienzo quickly stopped him before he could tap on the keyboard "and you´re familiar with the digital world inside this computer, how?"

"long story" Sora simple said and added determent "just send me inside!"

"me too" Kairi said and went over to join Sora´s side.

Lea glanced to Ienzo whose visible eye has wide in shock. Ienzo pulled himself together and said to the younger girl "Princess— Kairi, it will be too dangerous"

"I´ll be fine, Ienzo" Kairi said and added with a smile to Sora who looked confused over where Kairi and Ienzo knew each other "Sora will protect me"

Sora nodded to Ienzo, still pretty confused, but he knew that the way this older male worried for Kairi, they must be friends.

"I guess, it´s alright to send you inside" Ienzo said hesitating, he turned to the computer and blinked looked back when Ventus said loud "I´ll join you!" and he ran beside Sora and Kairi who both smiled friendly to Ven.

Sora then turned to Roxas who stood and stared at the group, feeling uncertain.

"Roxas?"

Roxas eyes met Sora´s, but even if he did know their connections between the two of them, he still wasn´t sure how to be around his Somebody "want to join us?" Sora asked, with the same trusting attitude and not caring what he was as Ventus have showed him. before Roxas could answer, Ienzo interrupted

"you wouldn´t be able to join them" and began tapping on the keyboard "there are limits how many it can digitize"

he tapped once and the computer zapped the group and they vanish into the computer. Ienzo turned to the screen with a sight "best of luck, they are going to need it…"

Lea crossed his arms, feeling confident those three could handle this just fine. Still he looked down to Roxas whose eyes stared at the spot where the trio stood not long ago. "would you have liked to join them?" Lea asked and added that Ienzo could still transfer him into the digital world. "right?" he asked the youngest apprentice who gave him a annoyed stare.

Roxas shook his head "I´ll pass" he smiled up to the two former Nobodies "I think it´s because I don´t really feel a part of their group"

Lea and Ienzo looked once at each other, then Ienzo turned back to the computer, he didn´t want to involved himself into this and Lea turned back to Roxas, asking with a frown "care to explain?"

"it just…I have only met then in person and even so, they treat me as if I´m a old friend or something" Roxas tried to explain, it confuses him. for in his eyes, they weren´t his friends, not yet at least. "it´s highly confusing, for you and Xion has been the only ones treating me this way"

Lea chuckled scratched his neck, he glanced at the spot where Sora and co vanished "you will get used to it" he said.

"I hope so" Roxas muttered.

Ienzo eyed the two friends, he sighted and turned to them or mostly to Roxas "I see no reasons you stay here and wait for them to return. You should go and kill the time somewhere else" and he went back to the computer screen "if something comes up, you will be the first to know"

the two friends nodded and left the computer room.

Replay to sailorsenshi13: I´m happy you like my story. and I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the others there will come in the future :)


	11. Chapter 11: Almost forgotten

"Roxas, I´ll need speak with some other returned Organization member" Lea told Roxas out in the corridors. Roxas stopped, question why and Lea felt he have to tell the boy this truth "you do know what Xion was right?"

Roxas nodded with a sad face.

"well, the one who created her are in here, maybe he can help us finding- or just bring her back" Lea explained, scratching his neck, his mind pouted on how to ask Even about the replica program and tell the man who goes more into scientist than emotions that him and Sora´s Nobody had befriended one of them.

"it wouldn´t hurt to try, would it?" Roxas asked. No, it wouldn´t Lea thought and they went for the search for Even, Vexen´s original human self.

they found Even in the library, in deep discussion with Ansem the wise. The two older men stopped their conversation and eyed Lea and Roxas when they stepped inside the library.

"Even" Lea called, completely ignoring Ansem, because for Lea, he was just another stranger. "I need to know about the replica program"

Even, the human of Vexen frowned of the request, he went over to Lea with the question "why?"

Lea eyes narrowed as he said "No, i. Xion. became our friend"

Even eyes wide of what Lea told him, he looked shocked hearing that someone actually would befriend a replica, a doll. He sighted and said in cruel matter of fact "your uncomprehending sense of friendship to a mere puppet, I find it most—"

"Xion is not a puppet!" Roxas yelled angry. Even gave a slight flinch from the sudden outburst, but quickly regained himself and said harshly to the angry boy "Xion was created by my Nobody, and if that, almost perfect creation has been destroyed, recreating it are not an option. Unless Sora´s willing to give up his memories for a puppet"

"I was able to return" Roxas countered angry and added eyeing both former Nobodies as well "so were you, the others and Axel"

Lea nodded hard, like Roxas he refused to give up on a friend, no matter how much other told it was impossible.

Even opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when Ansem the wise sat a hand on his shoulder. The oldest apprentice went silence and Ansem spoke "it would be hard to believe, returning of the people who has been lost in the between" he eyed Roxas whose eyes wide in sudden recognition "I know you" he chuckled sad "but I cannot place where"

"you forgot?!" Roxas began yelling in anger and disbelief "after all what you´ve put me through, you FORGOT?!"

before Roxas could do something stupid, Lea grabbed his shirt and held the furies boy back. he was pretty startled and confused why Roxas suddenly got this angry "what´s gotten into you?" he asked, trying making sure Roxas wouldn´t hurt Ansem.

"he was the one who sat me in the fake Twilight town" Roxas yelled angry, but tears was beginning to show in his blue eyes. "he made me think… I had a real life!" he cried out. The fake memories he still had from those few days has turned just as painful as the one he have of the last time spending with Xion and Axel.

Lea gasped and almost let go of Roxas. luckily he did not, but he felt cold "is it true?" he asked the Sage-king of Radiant Garden, first refusing looking at the man, but he have to see the man´s face, see what he felt.

Ansem eyes sadden more "sadly, I have lost most of my memories… but from what the boy have said, I do remember doing something very cruel" he lowered his head and continued "maybe I thought it was necessarily, maybe I didn´t think I would care, but you can´t stop a heart from feeling... Young man, tell me" he looked into Roxas angry eyes "what is your name?"

"why do you care?" Roxas sneered, but at least he had stopped struggling against Lea´s firm grip "I just a Nobody! I´m not even suppose to exist!""

"Nobody?" Ansem asked as if he tasted on the word, he stood in wonder for a few seconds, before saying "I remember beings called that name, not belonging to neither light nor darkness. and I… remember a young Nobody, who fought so hard to be his own, to seek the answers to his questions, to be with friends. only to be taken away by a foolish man who only thought of himself" his eyes met the young boy "for that, I am sorry."

he turned to Even "bring them what they seek, it´s about time the trio should be reunited"

Roxas and Lea both gasped surprised, none of them have expected Ansem would help them. Even; whose mind couldn´t see the reason why, but wouldn´t disobey their respected leader bowed and left the room to find his remaining research notes.

"I´m still angry of what you did" Roxas pointed out. Ansem turned back to the boy, telling him sad "and I don´t expect you ever forgiving me, I don´t deserve your forgiveness."

Even returned, but sadly he have bad news "forgive me, but all the research notes has been destroyed, only this" he gave a single journal to Lea who took it and scanned the papers "was left unharmed"

this only journal didn´t tell much, only they could create one by using data from a real person. probably that´s how Riku Replica was created. With a sight, he gave the journal back "this can´t help, you´re sure there´s not more?" he asked.

Even narrowed his eyes "I apologies for my uselessness, but all my research notes was destroyed alongside my Nobody and Castle Oblivion"

of course he should bring that up again.

Roxas looked up to Lea, asking sad and luckily not have been able to get the beat of what Even had said "a dead end?"

Lea eyed him and nodded sad down to Roxas "seems like that"


	12. Chapter 12: Thorn of Darkness

"well that was no use" Roxas remarked to Lea at their new meeting spot by the marked. They have returned back to the city after their little visit inside the castle.

Lea who has lain down beside Roxas glanced his green eyes to him "I´m sure we find something sooner or later" he tried saying and calm the boy down.

Roxas turned to him "how? You heard Vexen, when destroyed, recreating is not an option" and Lea sat up

with a troubled look in his eyes "it does not means he´s right, even seems lost forever and you can´t reach out, you just have to keep trying"

"what was all that about?" he felt Roxas´s eyes was on him, but he did not want to go into the details, for he might accidently come into the subject about him and Isa.

"do you think the computer has some of the research notes?" Roxas asked instead when he notice Lea wasn´t going to answer and couldn´t help but frown when Lea snorted said "I highly doubt it… I´m surprised that room had survived after Radiant Garden´s fall"

"its fall?"

Lea nodded and explained, trying not to touch the more sensitive stuff from that horrible past "many years ago, Heartless invaded and plunged Radiant Garden into darkness. many did not make it, taken by the Heartless" he sighted added with a faint humorless smile "I was one of them…"

"this world fell into the darkness" Roxas asked in disbelief, he had a hard time seeing this beautiful world plunge into darkness, and hearing Lea was actually talking about his Nobody´s creating was new as well. he always changed the topic when he and Xion had asked too much about it, seems like having a heart does make a change.

"yeah, and in the same time, my Nobody Axel was created" Lea said and chuckled added "and you sort of knows the rest"

Roxas nodded, and yet, there was one thing he did not know "why… did Axel sacrifice himself? I saw him through Sora, you know"

Lea eyes wide slightly and he turned away with a very unsure look. he scratched his neck and muttered "well…" he looked back to Roxas with a faint smile "because it was worth it for the friend he just saved"

Roxas blinked, then he realized that Axel have sacrificed himself for him, he smiled thankfully, still "just, don´t do that again"

Lea laughed and joked with a fake whine "but was sooo much fun~"

"yeah right!"

and soon after they both laughed. They did only stop when one of the guards of the castle arrived.

"you´re needed at the castle" the guard Dilan said with a hash tone. With that said, he turned around and left the two youngsters, not waiting for them to follow.

the two friends nodded to each other and quickly followed Dilan up to the castle.

"you´re Xaldin´s human, right?" Roxas asked, for him this man did look very alike Xaldin, and yet he seemed different. Like Axel was slightly different from Lea.

the guard glanced down to the boy who felt pretty small under the stare "that is correct, I´m Dilan and you do better remember that, boy" he lifted his spear, signing he wasn´t joking.

Roxas sank hard, even as human; Xaldin was hash and not someone to mess around with.

Lea stepped up to the guard with an annoyed frown "easy, or you might break something"

Dilan shot Lea a glare "it´s not him I worry about becoming broken" he said sharp to the red haired who did not even flinch from the threat.

"so, did Zexion send you after us?" Roxas asked, hoping this question would stop these two hostile attitudes towards each other. He did question why though, but then again, Axel and Xaldin never really spoke to each other in the Organization.

Dilan removed his glaring eyes away from Lea who also turned away, the guard looked down to Roxas "it´s Ienzo now and yes, he and the other bearer of the keyblade has some crucial informati— Celine!" he yelled when a young blond woman accidentally bumped into Lea and dropped all her papers. "you should watch where you´re going."

" I´m so sorry!" the woman name Celine cried and almost in panic picked up the papers.

Lea blinked, he has never seen this blond woman before. but from her white coat, he guess she was another apprentice. "here, let me help you" he offered and helped the woman with the papers. He picked up the last and gave them back to her. the woman Celine smiled thankfully to him "thank you" she said sweet, looking right into his eyes with her own grass green. "it was nothing, I´m Lea by the way" Lea said confident as always and added with his favorite catch phrase "got it memorized?"

Celine giggled and asked as she turned his green eyes down to Roxas "and who is this young man?"

Lea smiled down to Roxas as well "it´s—"

"stop flirting with each other" and Lea felt he got whacked over the head by Dilan. The red haired held his hand over the sour spot with a growl and if eyes could kill, Dilan would have been death.

The guard did not see Lea angry glare, he turned to Celine whose head had turned red of embarrassment "you included"

"…sorry" Celine muttered and hugged the papers closer to her chest. She gave Lea one look and with "bye" she went down the other corridor.

"who was she?" Roxas asked Dilan there replied "she´s our newest apprentice, a bit clumsy and timid but she has talents with magic. we should keep moving instead of wasting my time" he eyed Lea who grumpy stared back, muttering annoyed to the guard "…I wasn´t flirting"

Dilan simple snorted as response and he brought them to the computer room, there stood Ienzo and spoke with Sora, Kairi, Ventus and Mickey. Ienzo took a step forward while speaking "Sora, Kairi, Ventus. I thank you receiving the data. Although I think you would find them more useful than I do"

he tapped a few times on the computer keyboard and files popped up "it´s old records of different worlds. Some of them may have information to where to locate Xehanort or some of his vessels"

"vessels?" Roxas asked and Lea explained what a vessel was in this case: a person overtaken by someone else heart, become Xehanort.

"that sounds horrible" Roxas admitted. Ienzo did not say anything to that comment and turned back to the computer "I can transmit the location of the worlds to your Gummiships computer, so you don´t have to return every time for a new world"

"thanks, Ienzo" Kairi thanked the older male who turned his head to her with a single nod. And to Ienzo´s surprise she giggled and added "you´re have become a lot more chatty"

"I´m certainly not more chatty" Ienzo said trying to sound offended even he was more embarrassed, everyone in the room began laughing and he sighted in defeat " never mind"

Mickey was the first who stopped laughing and said when he saw all the worlds on the map "gosh, that´s many worlds" he turned to the others "maybe it´s best we split up and search each a world, even those we have been in before"

Sora nodded with a smile "okay, we can do that. what worlds should we begin with?" he asked and Ienzo gave him the answer by copying some of the worlds to a disk "you can start with these"

Sora took the disk and stared pretty lost at it, he wasn´t known to be good at computers. Ienzo sighted and explained what he needed to do with the disk in a very polite manner, when Sora understood, he and Kairi thanked and told they wanted to join with Riku who was on a mission with Aqua in world called Land of Departure.

Ventus and Mickey decided to go each of their way and because none of them used a Gummiship, Ienzo wrote down a few worlds they could start with and told that they could always return when they have investigated them.

last the young apprentice turned to Lea and Roxas, asking somewhat cheerful "you want to join them as well?"

Lea crossed his arms in thoughts, but seeing Roxas pleading face made the red haired smile and say confident "sure"

and Ienzo gave them some of the worlds location on a disk. Lea took it, nodded to Roxas and both was about to leave like the rest. Then, out from nowhere, big black thorns arrived and trapped the trio inside the computer room.

"Ienzo, what is going on?!" Lea asked the apprentice there, unlike like the two others stood somewhat calm, holding his hand up to his nose. His eyes wide in shock when he got the scent and said in disbelief to Lea "Maleficent"

and Heartless arrived out from the dark thorns. Lea and Roxas called their keyblades and Ienzo summoned his spell book "Maleficent?" Lea asked in disbelief and cut down a Heartless "what is she… crap" he cursed when they heard Kairi call for Sora in a call for help.

"she´s hunting down the princess of pure heart!" Lea turned to Roxas "we need to cut these thorns down!"

"right" Roxas nodded and he and Lea joined together to cut down the thorns of darkness. when free, the two keyblade wielders and Ienzo quickly ran over to Sora who stood in battle stage against Maleficent and Pete who had Kairi trapped.

Mickey and Ventus stood beside Sora, also ready to fight, that made Lea wonder why the witch would even try this when so many Keyblade wielders was around. they could easily defeat her, if not the Evil Fairy had Kairi in her grasp.

"let Kairi go!" Sora yelled in anger against the witch.

"of course, when you fetch me something from King Mickey´s castle" Maleficent said sand smirked down to the mouse king "the king knows what I´m talking about. give me those data and I will let your beloved princess of Heart go"

"and don´t you boozes do anything!" Pete cried with a grin and tighten his grip around Kairi´s neck "we won´t have the princess getting hurt"

Sora cried them to stop, he couldn´t bear seeing Kairi getting hurt "I´ll do it, just… leave Kairi alone!"

Maleficent created a portal, telling the horrified boy as she and Pete left "give me those data's or you will never see her again"

"Sora!" Kairi cried as Pete dragged her into the portal. Sora tried to follow but Maleficent stopped him by sending Heartless at him.

Lea got down his potion of Heartless, quickly realizing that his path was free, so without much thinking, he did something very boldly and stupid.

he jumped into the portal, right before it closed, completely ignoring the others cry not to do it.


End file.
